Gaming machines such as mechanical slot machines and even early video slot machines and video poker machines were stand alone gaming machines in which a result for a game play was determined at the gaming machine itself in some fashion. Commonly, the gaming machine produced some random result in response to a game play request at the gaming machine. This random result was mapped to some prize that would then be awarded to the player. Many mechanical and video slot machines and other gaming machines still produce or determine the result of a game play at the gaming machine itself.
More recent gaming systems have connected the various individual gaming machines in a network communications arrangement for various purposes. The network communications in modern gaming systems have been used for accounting and player tracking purposes, to implement progressive games, and for facilitating centralized game result determination, for example.
One problem with both the prior stand alone gaming machines and networked gaming machines is that it is difficult to provide the player with a sense that their actions or inputs have any influence on their results. Also, player interaction in games offered through gaming machines has historically been limited. This lack of control and player interaction may ultimately make games offered through gaming machines unattractive to some players. Thus, gaming machine and gaming system providers have struggled to find new ways to capture player interest, and there is stiff competition between providers to offer gaming machines and systems that will continually attract players.